Say hello to my little friend - the Progressive International Canning Scoop

Long day yesterday- I made 6 quarts of apple pie filling. The Backyard Farmer is spoiling me by offering delivery in my area. They brought me a big box of Fuji and Granny Smith apples last week along with some beautiful heirloom tomatoes and a bag for feed for the hens. Gotta love it.

I'm trying out a new recipe this year. It was quite tasty before it hit the jars so it should be pretty good in recipes. I found it here along with some good basic canning tips and a recipe for pie crust made without shortening (butter only).

Before I head of to work, I must tell you all about the. . .

Best. Canning. Tool. Ever.

Okay, so maybe I do like my jar lifter just as much for safety purposes, but this little beauty comes in a close second. I can't remember if I saw the Progressive International Canning Scoop on a blog or if it was an Amazon* suggestion but I am so glad I bought it. All the reviews for this were excellent. The shape is perfect for ladling fruit into your jars, but it's pointed enough at the end to be able to get out every last drop of liquid. It has a generous size bowl and a hook so you can hang it on the edge of your pot. It won't stain or rust. I love it! I used it to can apple pie filling yesterday and it made much less of a mess than my old ladle. Making jam will be so much easier with this in my canning arsenal.

*And yes, I am an Amazon Associate so if you go to Amazon thru a link on my blog to make your purchase, I do get a tiny fee. That doesn't raise your price at all, but it helps me with the occasional Amazon gift certificate. And I thank you for that!

Canning Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

A long night of canning - 5 quarts of pickles and 4 quarts of Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

It was love at first sip for me and strawberry lemonade. Summer in the valley brings great prices on flats of strawberries at Superstition Ranch Market, and winter means friends are begging me to take lemons off their hands. What could be better than an inexpensive drink chock full of Vitamin C?

At any given time our freezer is overflowing with pureed strawberries, lemon juice, or my strawberry lemonade base. It got to the point that an entire shelf was dedicated to my favorite beverage. Since a second freezer is not possible, I needed a better way to store my strawberry lemonade concentrate. A search turned up this recipe from Ball, the canning company. I had all the ingredients on hand and I canned up a batch when I last made pickles. Other bloggers had success with quarts instead of pints and that's the way I went with the project. I did add about 7 minutes to the water bath processing time. Finally- more room in the freezer!

Holy Honeydew!

If you live in the East Valley you may have heard of The Backyard Farmer aka Veggies Delivered.com Someone mentioned them in a local Facebook group and I had to try them for myself. Local produce? Delivered to my door? They take PayPal? I couldn't get to their website fast enough.

The veggie and fruit selection is not bad, but even more fabulous- they also carry baked goods, canning supplies, bulk grains, homemade soaps, grass fed beef, and even animal feed. I can't list everything they carry so please check out their website for the full list. You'll be blown away. No kidding!

We purchase chicken feed and grains frequently so I know my prices. The organic grains are the same price as the place I had been buying it. The chicken feed was very close, buy hey - no hauling- they drop it off in my driveway! Veg and fruits are a bit more than Sprouts, but usually much bigger.

There are plenty of testimonials on their website, so please check it out. Personally, I am impressed. The honeydew in the photo above weighed in at a hefty 9 lbs for under $4. Selection varies weekly. Read the "Important Info" on their website for order deadlines and delivery dates. And yes, delivery is free, but there is a place to include a tip for the driver on your bill.

Encyclopedia of Country Living - 40th Anniversary Edition

When I first started reading blogs about growing my own food, the book that was mentioned most frequently was The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery.

As my interests expanded into raising chickens and sustainablity, people in the know were still pointing the Carla's book as a resource. Living in the 'burbs I thought that this book wasn't for me but boy was I wrong! Anyone from homesteader to apartment dweller can use the great tips and advice from Carla.

Leanna’s Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Leanna’s Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Ingredients

6 to 8 pounds cucumbers, scrubbed and sliced into ¼” thick rounds
10 fresh dill sprigs
2 tbsp dill seeds
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced into thirds
1 quart water
3 cups white vinegar
1 cup Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canning/pickling salt

Directions

In a large pot, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir just until salt is dissolved. Place a sprig of dill in the bottom of each sterilized canning jar.

Pack layers of cucumber and onions tightly into the jars, leaving ½ head space. Place garlic pieces and dill sprigs into the jars and sprinkle with dill seed.

Pour liquid mixture into jars to cover the cucumbers. Move the cucumbers around with a knife to release any air bubbles. Make sure the liquid covers the cucumbers, onions and dill completely.

Cover tightly and refrigerate for 48 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Belated Christmas Present - An All American 921 Pressure Canner

After tons of research and opinions from message boards, I took the plunge and purchased a pressure canner with my Amazon gift cards and some cash I received for Christmas. This should give me lots of blogging topics in the future. The pressure canner I thought I'd get - the All American 915

The pressure canner I ended up buying- the All American 921 Not that much more money but it can hold more pint jars in one canning session.

I am so glad I went with this canner. You can double stack pint jars but it is still easy for me to lift on to the stove.